Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1904 — AGRICULTIRAL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AGRICULTIRAL

Stock Bucks. In selecting stock ducks from which to breed your market ducklings, it is less essential to look for clearness of bill and perfection of tint than general suitable conformation. The drake in the accompanying illustration is a perfect type of breeder for market birds. The body is large, but not cumbersome, the carriage of the small head, alert, out not apprehensive, the feathers white and plentiful, but tight and compact, as though cut from a piece of ivory,, the deep full keel and short, strong legs are all points that go to form an ideal breeder, either for

a duck or drake. In choosing breeders, it is also important that the’ ducks are fully as large as the drakes. The duck in the sketch is In reality somewhat larger than the drake, and won first prize when she was but five months old. Large birds like those Pekins are very heavy feeders, but the ducklings are soon on the market, and the old birds,with long, rangey bodies, such as these" here shown, ■will hunt their entire living when allowed to roam at will. —Montreal Star. Potatoes and Potash. Here are two hills of potatoes, the difference in. development of the plants and also in the product of the yield, of tubers. A number of experimental plots were laid out. Three rows, each one rod long and 3.3 feet apart, were planted with potatoes of the White Star variety. Plot No. 5 received no fertilizer of any kind. Plot No. 3 had an application of kainit and acid phosphate. The illustration is taken from the West Virginia Experimental Station, Bulletin No. 20. Now for the results: The potatoes produced by the three rows of plot No. 5. AVeiglied 21 pounds, and the plants and tlie potatoes are represented on the left side of the picture. The potatoes produced by the three rows of plot No. 3 weighed 55.8 pounds, and the plants and the potatoes are shown on ■the right-hand side. The increased £’lekl due to the use of kainit and acid phosphate was reckoned to be at the rate of 161 1-3 bushels per acre. . Fonr-Horee Tandem Equalizer. • The accompanying illustration represents a very simple form of equalizer for two teams one before the other. Attached to till® load Is- a pull“y through which tlie chain works, a team of two houses being attached to each end of the chain. The front doubletree is'tirbvided with a ring in the center, to which tlie chain Is attached. On the end of the chain is a grab hook, by monnti nf— which the— front —team

tnay be bitched long or short as deaired. The Packers’ Power. The only rational cause for the great falling off In prices paid by the packers for hogs and beef cattle Is the determination of the packers not to give more. They are not in the packing business for either health or recreation, but for the money they can accumulate. Of coutwe the less they pay for the animals and the more they get for the animal products the more money they make. This accounts for the high price to consumers of beef, pork, etc., as well as the low price of hogs, and cattle.—Fann nwl /tanch. Catting Trees by*Electricity. It is reported in the German press that successful experiments have been ’made In various forests of France in cutting tre'es by means of electricity. A platinum wire Is heated to a white heat by an electric current and used like a uw. In this manner the tree

is felled much more easily and quickly than in the old way; no sawdust is produced and the slight carbonization caused by the hot wire acts as a pre; servative of the wood. The new meth od is said to require only one-eighth of the time consumed by the old sawing process. A Pettin' Hen When a hen is bound to set, Seems as though ’tain’t etiket Dowsin’ her in water till She’s connected with a chill. Seems as though ’twas skursely right (livin’ her a dreadfid fright, ' Tyin' rags around her tail, Poundin' on an old tin pail. Chasin’ her around the yard. —Secure as though ’twas kind of hard Bein’ kicked and slammed and shooed ’Cause she wants to raise a brood. I sh’d say it’s gettin’ gay Jest ’cause natur’ wants its way. —While ago my neighbor, Penn, Started bustin’ up a hen; Went to yank, her off the nest. Hen, though, made a peck and jest Grabbed his thumb nail good and stout; —Like to yank the darned thing out. Pehn he twltclieitiaway arid then Tried agin to grab that hen, But, by ginger, she had spunk ’Cause she took and nipped a chunk Big's a bean right out his palm, Swallered it, and cool and calm. T Histed up and yelled “Cali-dab!” —Sounded like she-said “Hoorah!” • Wai, sir. when that hen done that Penn, he bowed, took off his hat, —Spunk jest suits him, you can bet, “Set,” says he, *_’gol darn ye, set!” —Anonymous.

What Is Success? Many men who have died poor and who have ever been poor have been great successes. Our Savior was a poor man, the poorest of the poor and yet no life was ever such a success as His. The mistake of tills age is in judging success by wealth. A man may be worth $100,000,060 and yet be an absolute failure. That is, he may be rich and yet be a hog. He is successful who goes through the world doing the most good, brightening the lives of his fellow creatures not only, but making life more comfortable for the lower animals, the horses, the cows, and chickens and wild birds. Stable Ventilator. This plan of ventilating a stable can be put in without interfering with the window proper. About two inches

from the top of the wfhdow three holes are made two inches or more in diameter. A frame is built over these holes In which to run a slide or slips of sheet iron may be placed In position,

as shown at the lower part of the picture, between which the sliding board may be run. Corn Flour. The high price of wheat and of wheat Hour In Bulgaria has led the Minister of Agriculture to suggest the use of corn flour, mixed with wheat flour. A Sofia journal says that a committee was nominated by the Mayor of Sofia with a view to alleviating the distress among the poorer classes. Two kinds of bread were submitted—one made with three-quarters wheat flour and one-quarter corn flour, and the other with half wheat flour and half corn flour. Those who tasted the firstnamed bread declared it to be very good, and the Mayor hopes by the extended use of corn flour to furnish, the necessitous population of Sofia with its daily bread at a cheap price.— Cincinnati I’rice Current. —, Stiywberriem I kiipw of notliing that brings in money quicker or faster than the strawberry, providing the land is adapted to strawberry growing. The strawberry gave me my start when I was a poor man. The longer I grew fruits the more the people around me bought them. I never had a surplus. Boys will easily become greatly interested not only in strawberry growing but black raspberry, blackberry and grape< My plan was to' have an assortment of the various kinds of fruit so if one class of fruits failed for a year the others would bring me in money. Stiff clay soil that bakes |s not adapted to the strawberry or blackberry.—Exchange. Grafting Grapes. Common cleft grafting is best for young grape roofings. It is simple, easy and nearly always successful if properly performed. Remove the soil from the rootirtg and cut it low enough to allow the soil to be mounded around the point. Split with a chisel, then insert a scion of equal diameter so that 'both sides will knit. Cut the scion bevels equal. Be careful to have both sides coincide outside so that bark of both stock and scion is practically of same thickness. Wood A sties. i Uuleached wood ashes are rich in potash, varying in vnjue according to the hardness of thq wood burned. Hickory ashes arc more valuable thaii basswood. Besides, potash ashes contain lltne ami a little phosphoric acid. Most.clay soils have sufficient potash. Sandy soils need potash more than other soils. Do not mix wood ashofe with any kind of mannro boforo applying to the soil.

TRIO OF MODEL PEKINS.

FOUR-HORSE TANDEM EQUALIZER.